SEO Facts for Beginners

SEO is not something you can treat in a casual “take it or leave it” fashion; it should be an urgent priority for any sole trader, small business or start-up looking to get a foot in the door of the digital marketplace. And yet it is all too easy for beginners to overlook the basics of search engine optimisation, which means that they inevitably fall at the first hurdle. Here are some essential tips that outline SEO for beginners in a way that should help you steer clear of common pitfalls waiting to bite the inexperienced. And while mastering SEO for newbie’s might seem a daunting task, ignoring this advice will place you in a far more perilous position.

SEO for Beginners Should be About Optimising User Experience

Search engines develop algorithms to automatically detect whether a site is not only relevant to a user’s needs, but is also designed and maintained in such a way that will leave the user feeling that their query has been properly addressed. The message here is that SEO and user experience are intrinsically linked. If you improve one, the other should also benefit. While the design of a website’s interface is relevant in terms of user experience, a fantastic design is not sufficient on its own. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “design over substance.” You need the best possible content in order to maximise the SEO impact. And this means establishing what a user wants to get from visiting your site, whether that might be making a purchase, researching an item or getting information about your organisation.

Learn to Love Links

There is still a lot of controversy over the issue of links in the SEO world, with the insane volume practices of the past largely outlawed as a result of algorithmic updates. But sites which reinforce their authority by securing high quality inbound links from elsewhere on the web will often rank higher than those that do not, so it is important not to be scared of looking to earn links, it’s the type of link you need to be careful of, it had to be natural. How you go about this can vary depending on your intentions and resources, but plenty of people still consider that by marketing content to third parties and getting a link in return you can build a solid foundation and achieve significant traffic growth as well as gaining ranking benefits. But if you are reading this post on SEO for newbie’s then I would strongly advise you to get more information on links so that you can avoid being penalised for doing the wrong thing.

Good Content Counts

A website must have solid technical foundations if it is to succeed, but ultimately its fate will be decided by whether or not the content is up to scratch. And you cannot really afford to neglect either area if you have plans for online growth. So what makes for quality content? Essentially, it needs to be unique, interesting and relevant to your target audience. Its presence will almost invariably lead to better SEO performance. It should also be designed to stimulate sales and boost your conversion rate, which is why so many feature regular blogs to ensure that the site is seen as being up to date. As you can see, I’m no exception to this!